Proposed budget document for 2026 now available on line - it's a whopper

By Gazette Staff

October 27th, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

The City of Burlington’s proposed 2026 Budget is available for review. Residents are invited to view the proposed budget at burlington.ca/budget to learn about proposed key investments in City services that foster a vibrant, high quality of life in the city.

The proposed budget will officially be presented on Monday, Nov. 3 at the Committee of the Whole meeting, starting at 1 p.m. Members of the public who wish to speak to Council at the meeting may register to delegate at burlington.ca/delegate by noon on Friday, Oct. 31.

Proposed property tax increase

The City of Burlington’s proposed 2026 Budget includes a 5.80% increase in the city’s budget and results in an overall property tax increase for residents of 4.49%. This percentage includes services delivered by the City of Burlington, Halton Region (including Police Services), and the Boards of Education and represents the impact residents will see on their property tax bill. The 4.49% proposed increase is an additional $43.68 in property taxes for every $100,000 of residential current value assessment.

Proposed investment priorities

Some of the key investments identified in the proposed 2026 Budget are:

• Resilient infrastructure – $105.7M in capital investments planned for 2026, including $48.9M to invest in aging roadways, $12.2M for investments in city parks, and $12.2M for investments in city facilities
• Swift emergency response – $1.6M to replace aging Fire fleet, including one large rescue truck and two support vehicles, and $450K for the renewal of emergency response radios and pagers
• Reliable transit – including $4.2M to replace aging transit fleet with hybrid-electric vehicles, $404K for an additional specialized transit vehicle (Handi Van) to support increased demand for this service, and $100K for transit maintenance to reduce service disruptions
• Flood protection – including $7.6M towards storm water management capital projects in 2026 to protect homes and natural areas
• Safe streets – including $675K for traffic management technology that enhances the movement of fire emergency vehicles and transit buses through signalized intersections to improve schedule and response times.
• Welcoming parks and community centres – including $180K to support the operation of Burlington Public Library’s New Appleby Branch and $41K for more frequent waste management in parks, supporting cleaner public spaces

Next steps

Following the presentation of the proposed 2026 Budget on Nov. 3 at Committee of the Whole, City Council will have an opportunity to:

• Hear from City staff in each Division of the City about recent service investments, economic pressures and service needs at the Budget Committee meeting on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. Members of the public are welcome to speak to Council by registering to delegate at burlington.ca/delegate by noon on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
• Review the proposed 2026 Budget at the Budget Committee meeting on Nov. 24 & 25, if required, at 9:30 a.m. During this meeting, Council members can bring motions forward to modify the proposed budget. Members of the public are also welcome to speak to Council by registering to delegate at burlington.ca/delegate by noon on Friday, Nov. 21.

A Special Council meeting to finalize the 2026 Budget will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 2 immediately following the Committee of the Whole meeting. Members of the public are welcome to speak to Council by registering to delegate at burlington.ca/delegate by noon on Monday, Dec. 1.